Trusting Yourself
by Nermir
Summary: The Trio meets a new friend, and these four, along with other members of the D.A. and other unexpected characters, go on a quest to destroy the last remaining Horcuxes and ultimately Lord Voldemort. R&R Please.
1. Alexandria Lexington

**Comments from the Author:**

I am very horrible with beginnings, so bear with me. I wrote this first chapter, I deleted it on purpose, then rewrote it, stopped in the middle and edited the beginning, finished it and then edited it all over again.

I also decided to move on to Harry's 6th year, except for the fact that Dumbledore did not die. In fact, the events that happened at the end of book 6 _did_ happened…but failed. Snape brought Draco to the Order for safety, and though he is rather…damaged, for lack of better wording, in what happened, he is still the snide, evil Malfoy ferret. Harry and Ginny are a couple but that may change evil smile and yes, Ron and Hermoine. So sorry all those Ginny/others and Hermy/others. But it may change. I do have an uncanny ability to be cruel in love life stories. So I don't know. I will try my best to write a great fanfic that will nearly surprise you all almost as much as Rowling does.

**Why a T rating?**

To be on the safe side. It will begin to become more towards the teen audience with action, adventure, and yes, some romance.

**Disclaimer:**

I, unfortunetly, do not own, nor do I claim to have come up with the original ideas presented in Harry Potter. That credit goes to JK Rowling.

I do, however, claim the fanfic characters and the plotline presented in this fanfic to be of my creation and if I see them used _anywhere_ without my knowledge or credit, or without you asking me, I will raise Hell. Thank you.

**Other:**

I hope you all enjoy _Trusting Yourself._

* * *

**Chapter One  
Alexandria Lexington**

"_Draco! You'll destroy _everything_! Please! Please…Help us! Help _him_...Do it for me…Draco. I know there's good in you…I—I love you. Please, help us…"_

Bright blue eyes shot opened as she lurched forward slightly. Alexandria Lexington blinked once, she blinked twice and then she yawned lightly. What kind of dream was that? It was so weird, and Lexi wouldn't help but shake her head, trying to clear her thoughts. Draco…as in _Malfoy_?** "Ew…"** She said, before laughing quietly. Oh well, dreams happen, it does not mean they are real or are going to happen. In fact—

**"Can I sit here?" **The male voice startled her and she jumped in her sit, innocent eyes looking towards the door.** "Are these saved for anyone?"** All Lexi could do was stare at this boy, eyes widened slightly, distressed by her being woken up.

Harry Potter.

He was late again, to the train, to another school year at Hogwarts. Well, technically not late, for if he was, he wouldn't be _on_ the train. Regardless, he had that look in his green eyes like this was the absolutely last apartment on The Hogwarts Express. It was also strange, seeing him in his uniform already. Usually he walked right past her own compartment on the train, still in his muggle clothing, and found space for himself and his friends. His hair looked the same it always did, though, messy and very black. Her light brown hair, on the other hand, was brushed through and braided to the side and over her shoulder, a few strands of bangs hanging in front of her eyes, though she made no move to brush them away.

Now, Alexandria Lexington was in the same year as Harry Potter. In fact, they were in the same House, and in most of the same classes…and it looked as if he did not recognize her. Then again, she was the quiet type and did not like to bring attention to herself. And Harry tended to bring way too much attention to him and all his friends. Not only that, but he always seemed to be in his own little world where He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is always after him. Lexi shouldn't blame him, though…because You-Know-Who really was back and has been for a year now.

**"No…You can sit here if you would like! I'm sorry…you startled me…" **Alexandria laughed quietly, before turning red and looking back out the window. _Oh…that's what woke me up. We are on our way to Hogwarts now…_

Blue eyes met green and she stared at him while he put his trunk up above, then sat across from her. Alexandria watched him as long as her shy demeanor allowed her to before she looked out of the window at the passing scenery.

Harry stared at her and opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the opening of the compartment door.

**"Harry!" **

**"Harry, how are you?" **

**"Everything okay, Harry?"**

Neville, Luna, and Ginny walked into the compartment and shut the door, Luna taking a seat beside Alexandria, Neville beside her, and then Ginny next to Harry. The Ravenclaw immediately pulled out an issue of the Quibbler and began reading it upside-down. Alex had this strange look on her face and then turned and looked out the window, feeling Ginny and Harry's eyes on her.

This was something she was not used to, these people. She was just used to being alone and having quiet. Instead, it was becoming loud, what with the four others in the train compartment talking. Alexandria let out a sigh and wished that the ride would hurry. Instead, it dragged on forever, until finally, at last, the train pulled slowly towards Hogwarts, to everyone's home.


	2. Hogwarts, Food, and Changes

**Recap:**

So far, we meet a young Gryffindor woman named Alexandria Lexington sitting on the train alone. Harry, Ginny, Neville, and Luna sit with her and a rather uncomfortable train ride ensues. So far…nothing happens.

* * *

**Chapter Two  
****Hogwarts, Food, and Changes**

As the train slowed down, not yet stopping, all five people in the last compartment on the train were startled as the door flew open.

"**Harry! Harry, I'm Head Girl!" **

A bushel of brown, unruly hair seemed to fly at the boy with the scar and glasses, embracing him roughly. Harry ended up laughing, however, looking towards Ron, who appeared close behind.

"**That's great, Hermione! And let me guess. Ron? You're Head Boy?"** A rush of jealousy welled up in Harry's chest. The last time he felt this feeling was when both Ron and Hermione were made perfects. Why, again, did Dumbledore not make Harry Head Boy? Harry was, after all, the more qualified and…He let out a sigh and tamed the beast that was growing inside him, watching as Hermione moved away from him to sit next to Ginny and give her a hug.

"**No."** Ron replied, leaning against the door after closing it. **"No, I'm still a perfect, though."**

Luna laughed all of a sudden, throwing her head completely back and just laughing hysterically. Everyone there gave each other a look, all for Alexandria who automatically looked out the window with a sigh as the laughter from Luna died down. Luna then buried her face back into The Quibbler, silent once more.

Harry's eyes widened slightly as he sat up, nearly knocking Ginny, who had leaned into him slightly, off the bench. **"Dumbledore didn't make—"**

"**No, Draco is not Head Boy with me, Harry. I really do not know why he is not Head Boy. I figured that Dumbledore would try and unite the school in some way or another, and what better way than to pair a Slytherin and a Gryffindor as the Heads?"** Hermione did not notice the look that Harry, Ron, and Ginny had given each other, Ron rolling his eyes.

"**No, some git named Robert Fuffin or other is Head Boy…"** Ronald mumbled, running his hand through his bright red hair.

"**It is actually Phinney, a Ravenclaw. Ron is just all in a huff about it because the Head Boy and Girl do not live in their House dorms. They have their own shared common room and bathroom…and _separate_ bedrooms." **Ginny said, regaining the balance she had lost when Harry had all of a sudden flown forward. She did, however, have a smile on her face; well, it was more of a wry grin towards Ron.

"**Even though he has nothing to _worry_ about…"** Hermione chimed in, flushing slightly. **"I will be spending more time _away _from Robert than with him. We will have duties, after all. And besides, I am still going to eat meals with you and have some classes. I am so excited to find out which classes we are taking. It is, after all NEWT year."**

"**Hermione…"** Neville said shakily, finally speaking up. **"Do not remind us! The only class I know for sure that I am even qualified for is Herbology…Gram was not too happy about that…But she did not really say anything. I think McGonagall had a talk with her…"**

"**Oh, Neville,"** Ginny said, slipping her hand into Harry's. **"That is really great. And I'm sure McGonagall will assure that you are placed into the classes that will help you with the job that you wish to be in."**

Suddenly someone sneezed and everyone jumped. All eyes turned to Alexandria, who was still staring out the window. **"Bless you."** Ginny said aloud, causing Lexi to turn and see everyone looking at her.

"**Um…thank you."** She said, before she got up and walked out of the compartment.

"**Now she's a strange one."** Ron said, moving across the compartment to take the seat that Lexi had left unoccupied.

"**Oh, hush Ron. She is a really sweet girl. Her name is Alexandria and she is in our House."** Hermione said, currently looking at the wide open door that Alex had departed from.

"**No, Hermione…I really could not tell from her robes and uniform…"** Ron said, looking out the window.

"**Ron, stop being an annoying git!"** Ginny said.

"**It's okay, Ginny. Really. I have to go and round up the First years with Robert. I will see all of you during dinner." **With that, Hermione got up and left the compartment without a look back.

"**Ron,"** Harry said. **"What really is bothering you?"**

"**Nothing. I have to go back up to the perfects compartment and help in…stuff." **And with that, he got up and left.

Ginny let out a sigh of irritation and stood up, her hand slipping out of Harry's. **"Well, now that the tension in the compartment is full to the top, how about the rest of us finally get off this train and go to Hogwarts?"**

"**Tension? I think it is great right now." **Luna said, standing up and slowly exiting the compartment. Neville, Harry and Ginny laughed quietly, shaking their heads and followed her.

* * *

"**I found that I should tell you…There was an attack on Hogwarts at the end of last year. It is true, what the Daily Prophet had written, believe it or not." **The usual twinkling blue eyes behind those familiar blue half moon spectacles were serious, as was his voice. Professor Albus **Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore** was making his usual beginning of term speech. The first years, the smallest class in Hogwart's history was sorted, six in Gryffindor, ten in Ravenclaw, four in Hufflepuff and one in Slytherin, the sorting hat placed back into Dumbledore's office, and then the speech. 

"**An attempt to assassinate me was foiled by certain classmates of yours and for that I am thankful. This year will be one of the toughest years in Hogwart's history, it would seem. Voldemort is back and in full power. Here is probably the safest place you can be, as deemed by the Ministry, but the same rules that applied last year applies this year, with a little bit of changes. I do not want anyone out on the grounds after dinner. If it is for Quidditch practice, you must have your Head of House attend the practice with you. Try your best not to walk the grounds, even in daylight, alone. If at all possible, walk with another person.**

"**Many things will change this year. New friendships will form and old ones will bind tighter together. But you must never lose faith. Always trust yourself. And remember: I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me... Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it. Many things will change, students, but I will always be here to protect you, so long as you believe in me…**

"**And on that note, I heard from a very loyal source that the crème pie is absolutely delicious, so the sooner we start dinner, the sooner we can have dessert." **

Professor Dumbledore smiledthat all knowing smile and the twinkling could be seen in those crystal blue eyes once more and as he sat down, the food magically appeared in the middle of all the tables and talking resumed as people began to feast.

"**Sometime I believe him too rash in when he speaks to the school," **Hermione said, sitting on the other side of the table from Ron and Harry, Ginny sitting on one side of her and Alexandria, that quiet girl, on the other.

"**I think that the rest of the school needs to know what happened…" **Murmured Lexi, flushing slightly at having spoken.

Hermione gave her a smile and then here eyes widened in that Hermione way and she gasped lightly. **"I completely forgot! Harry, Ron, Ginny! This is Alexandria. Alexandria, this is Harry, Ron, and Ginny. Alexandria and I have had many classes together. She was one of the other students who had to apply for a time turner our fourth year…In fact, she is taking all of the classes that you are, Harry! She has been wanting to become an Auror."**

Alexandria's blue eyes widened a considerable amount and her face seemed to have flushed a deeper red. **"You will find, though…that…well…that I really am not all that good with charms. I barely passed and—"**

"**You'll find that Potter is rather lack in that area, too. In fact, all of the areas it requires to become an Auror." **

Draco Malfoy sneered down at the four, standing behind Hermione and Lexi, a cold look in his grey eyes.

"**And if Harry isn't qualified then what classes are you taking this year, Draco?" **Ron said, fists clenched tightly.

"**Why, the same as him, and as Lexington. I think becoming an Auror is something I can truly be good at." **Draco said, sarcasm dripping from every word. He laughed then, and walked away, Alexandria watching him leave, her mouth slightly open.

"**What was that all about?" **Hermione asked, also looking after Draco.

"**Malfoy being a damn git." **Ginny said, receiving a reproaching look from her brother.

Ron huffed a little and after taking a drink of some pumpkin juice, he turned towards Harry. **"What happened to you two during the summer anyways, Harry? Mother was telling about how Snape brought him to Headquarters. She said you were there too…"**

"**I'll tell you later. Not here." **Harry said, looking up towards the teacher's table.

Dumbledore then stood up and immediately the tables were cleared and the talking died down. **"Our first of many feasts here have gone well. Now, all of you, off to your dorms and get a good nights sleep. Classes are tomorrow and I expect all of you to be ready. First years, follow the perfects assigned to your house. Now off to bed!"**

With that, Harry, Ginny, Hermione, Ron, and Alexandria got up from the tabled, following the crowd out of the Great Hall.

"**Harry, Ron…" **Hermione said, stopping shortly near the doors. **"I will have to leave you now. Go ahead and tell what you need to, to Ron, but I would still like to hear about it tomorrow in our class. Goodnight!"** With that, Hermione gave Ron a quick hug and followed a tall dirty blonde haired boy in the opposite direction that the rest of the other students were going.

"**I hope nothing will change much this year…" **Ron mumbled as he followed everyone upstairs to the Gryffindor dorms.


	3. Harry's Summer

**Note from the Author: **

This chapter is a little shorter than the last, but it's late and I thought that I would update. Thank you for the one review, C K Brook. As for the other people reading this…Please R & R. This really is my first HP fanfic, my second fanfic total and I would like some opinions on what I can do better! Thank you!

**Recap: **

So far the golden Trio has met a new girl, Alexandria. The only person who seems to know anything about her is Hermione, who was appointed Head Girl along with a Ravenclaw appointed Head Boy named Robert Phinney. Needless to say, Ron is not happy. Professor Dumbledore makes his beginning of the year speech talking about sticking together and soon after Draco Malfoy makes some rather curios comments towards the Gryffindor group.

* * *

**Chapter Three  
****Harry's Summer**

They were all settled down in the Gryffindor common room; Ginny leaning against Harry's legs, Harry in the big arm chair, Ron, Fred and George who made a surprise visit, claiming to be there to see Dumbledore, and Alexandria all on the couch. Introductions were made for Lexi who seems to have found herself within this group of tight nit friends whether she wanted to or not. There they sat, talking and laughing by the fire until it became late, and everyone retired to bed, for classes were next day.

"**Harry…you promise to tell us what happened during the summer with Malfoy," **Ginny said, closing her eyes and yawning slightly.

"**Wait,"** Fred said, sitting up. **"You had to spend your summer with that prat?" **

Harry sighed, shaking his head slightly, that unruly black hair moving over his scar and thought about what to say. **"Yeah…Snape brought him to Headquarters after what happening, claiming like sanctuary or something."**

George then shook his head. **"I don't see why Dumbledore still trusts Snape and now Malfoy. _We _aren't even allowed to know where the new Headquarters are and we are providing some of our products for the Order, free of charge."**

"**Oh, stop you guys…Dumbledore is trying to be careful…" **Ginny said, looking rather angry at the twins, and Ron who was opening his mouth to comment on what George had said.

"**What, should we be talking about this in front of her?" **Ron said, nodding towards Alexandria, who ended up looking towards the youngest Weasley boy. She tilted her head to the side and looked rather angry and hurt that he would accuse of her of running off and telling someone. Okay, he did not actually _accuse_ her, but it was hinted at in there.

"**Whatever it is you will say I won't tell another soul. Do I even look like that type of person?" **Lexi snapped, biting down on her lip slightly, looking huffed. Ginny grinned up at her and replied, **"Hermione likes her, and so we should trust her. Besides, now isn't the time to push people away, Ron."**

"**Yeah, remember what Dumbledore said?"** Fred said, looping an arm around Alexandria's shoulders and pulling her close in a half hug. **"We need to stick together and make new friends!"** Alexandria, on the other hand, did not show the same happiness and enthusiasm as making new friends as Fred did. Especially after George looped an arm around her, also, so that she was sandwiched between the two twins. **"Yeah,"** George said. **"And trust in yourself…and your new friends."**

"**Besides," **Fred commented.

"**She looks nice." **George finished.

Alexandria flushed deeply for a number of reason. One, this is the closet she has ever really been to a boy. They were twins and it was confusing her with who was who. They both had their arms around her and they said she looked nice. Wait? Did they mean nice in demeanor or nice as in physical nice? Oh, she was so confused and turning red that everyone but Ron starting laughing. Oh, the embarrassment.

"**I was just saying…" **Ron mumbled, looking away.

"**Well next time, don't."** Ginny said, her eyes closed once more.

Alexandria shifted slightly in uncomfortable-ness, though the twins did not seem to notice. **"I really do not know what you mean when you are talking about the Order though…"** She murmured quietly, looking towards Harry.

Harry gave a sigh and began…

* * *

"**The Order is short for The Order of the Phoenix. It was made back when Voldemort first came to power. It is like the opposite of the Death Eaters…the Order is _fighting _Voldemort. Dumbledore runs it, and many of the professors here, and many parents are apart of it. We cannot say who for safety reasons. Just remember, if you need help see us and we can take you there. After all, if Malfoy can seek refuge there, than you can.**

"**Last year, though, our Headquarters became unsafe, so Dumbledore moved them to another location, telling only those who really needed to be told and telling the rest to merely send owls if they needed anything. It was to be safe. At the end of last year though, with that attack on the school, Snape brought Malfoy to headquarters, saying 'he is unsafe because he defied the Dark Lord because of Dumbledore'. **

"**So Malfoy started living there with us and I have to say he is worse that Kreacher. The first few weeks of him there he almost starved because he thought we were going to bring his food up here to him on a tray with a rose and everything. It was pathetic. Finally her joined everyone down there for meals. In the middle of the summer, McGonagall took us to take our Appariation test, so now we both are legal, though Malfoy barely passed. Snape was almost yelling at him for it too, saying that he should have spent more studying on it last year, because he was going to need it this year. Basically that is it…we just spent the summer in separate rooms, really."**

* * *

There was a bit of silence before Ginny spat out, **"You did not go to find anymore Horcruxes with Dumbledore?"**

"**No…but come to think about it, he hardly spent time in Headquarters." **Harry mumbled, trying to remember the summer as best as he could.

"**So you think he is going out himself and doing destroying them himself?" **Ron said.

Harry shrugged and leaned back comfortably in his chair, a hand moving down to gently brush through Ginny's red hair. **"I don't know. You know how Dumbledore is…he could be doing research or—"**

Ron sat up, shaking his head. **"He _needs_ you, Harry. Remember the last horcruxes? He—"**

"**Yeah, but the first one Dumbledore destroyed by himself, you prat!" **Ginny snapped, sitting up and glaring at Ron.

"**I think I am going to go to bed." **Harry said, taking the opportunity or Ginny sitting up to get out of the chair. Harry felt as if Dumbledore sort of _was_ leaving him in the dark. He was capable of being able to help…why isn't he asking for help? He did destroy the diary, after all. And Dumbledore would not be alive right now were it not for Harry's efforts in the cave with the albeit fake locket horcux…why didn't he want Harry to help?

_Because something bad will happen…_A voice in the back of his head sounded. With that, he walked upstairs, leaving Lexi between the twins talking, and Ginny and Ron sparring with each other, threatening to curse the other.


End file.
